Faster than Moonlight
by hotlips29
Summary: In which Zhao never makes it to the moon spirit and, subsequently, the Water Princess finds herself sharing a very overcrowded chunk of driftwood with the Fire Prince. AU S2/S3. ZukoxYue/AzulaxYue love triangle. Yue's POV.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first for-serious fic. I really love Yue and I wish there were more stories about her. This is intended to be a very long story with her as the main character. I want to give her character development from where she is in the series and to be honest a love triangle because I adore those. The whole first third/half-ish is just slowburn Zue, though. It's in first person, but there are zero POV switches. I chose first person because I wanted to force myself to get more into her head when I'm doing a story based on a spotlight on her character. Also, I'm doing everything in my power not to rehash the show, down to trying to avoid even a single line while retaining the integrity of canon Anyway, I hope you enjoy my weird fic._

* * *

 ** _FASTER THAN MOONLIGHT_**

* * *

I never was brave enough to seek out adventure, so maybe I should be grateful that adventure found me.

It was a dream of mine for a lifetime, buried under the perfect Princess Yue, but I was a girl who understood reality. I knew it would be selfish to pursue excitement and I would do anything to protect those I loved and those who loved me.

And so it was a grand accident that I was submerged in ice cold water, clawing at the surface. I was a strong swimmer, but the cold and the sounds of the battle that echoed in my head made me disoriented. I had enough of my wits about me to grab the hand reaching for me.

The man who saved the moon spirit pulled me to the surface. I stared at him, trying to summon the words of gratitude I knew well, but he had done so much for me that I was speechless. He saved my tribe and he now had saved me.

"We have to get out of here," he said, quite clearly. I let him guide me to the chunks of ship that floated on the ocean. The battle was coming to a close, and I looked over my shoulder at my home. It was devastated by the Fire Nation, even if we won.

The Fire Nation man lifted me onto a floating hunk of metal and the air only made me colder. I shivered and wished I had a change of clothes.

"Why is she here?" demanded a nearby voice. I recognized the gravely tone of a wicked Fire Nation boy before I turned to see his scarred face and glaring golden eyes.

My heart raced and I frantically looked for an escape route that did not exist.

This was not a rescue.

I was captured by the enemy.

x

When we were rescued, my hopes of the Water Tribe finding me weakened and my heart sank. It was the Fire Nation that brought me dry, red clothes made of a fabric I had never felt before. The dress was so smooth against my hands that I kept touching it instead of putting it on. At last, I got dressed and tied my hair back into its braids.

One of my blue gems was missing, so I discarded the other and wore my hair like a lesser citizen. My thoughts of fashion faded when I stared at my feet and came to terms with my situation. I was a prisoner of the Fire Nation, a fate I _never_ imagined would come to me.

The Water Tribe would look for me. My father and mother would scour the world, going to the ends of the earth to find me. I heard from the soldiers that the North Pole won the war. If he could, I knew Sokka would get the Avatar to help find me.

My only fear was that they would be too late. I knew very little of the Fire Nation, but if I was taken there, I knew I was doomed.

How could I let this happen?

How could I let myself get captured by that horrible boy and his kind uncle?

I did not know.

x

They did not take me to the Fire Nation, but I was not released from imprisonment either.

"Zuko, be kind to the lady," said the man I now knew was named Iroh.

"She's our _prisoner_ ," snarled the boy I now knew was very rash and perpetually angry. "I spent three days _freezing_ in water because you insisted that I _be kind to the lady_! It's absurd. It's completely absurd, and I'm not getting into this again!"

I did not say a word. Silence was my best friend now that I was on a beachside village where _everyone_ wore red. My hands were in the warm sand; I felt its heat on my skin and reveled in the strange beauty of the foliage surrounding me.

Zuko addressed me for the first time. "Why do you look so happy? You're a _prisoner_ on a gross beach."

I sat back on my haunches and looked up at him. He looked so aggravated and I did not know how he could be when in such a beautiful place. If anything, _I_ should be the angry one; I was the captive who longed for snow no matter how much she loved the sand.

"I've just never seen anything like this place before. It's amazing," I said truthfully, giving a practiced smile that leant itself to no particular emotion. "I never want to leave the sand!"

When I laughed, Iroh laughed with me, but Zuko scowled more fiercely.

Zuko snarled, "I am going to my room, and, Uncle, you better keep her in your sights because I'm going to return her to my father along with the Avatar. You don't have to be a war genius to know she's worth a lot to the Fire Nation."

Iroh shrugged. I shrank. Zuko stalked away to the cabanas.

Calmly, Iroh said, "You don't have to be so quiet. No one will hold your words against you." He stopped and squinted. "Uh, _I_ will not hold your words against you. I cannot speak for my nephew."

"I do not have anything to say," I replied politely. I maintained the poise of a princess, even if I was dressed in Fire Nation clothes, my hands buried in sand as I wondrously gazed at my verdant surroundings. "I want to thank you for your hospitality, but I do not wish to be given to the Fire Lord."

Iroh turned up his palm. "I can understand that, but, really, I don't think my brother is going to find us here or… even bother looking."

"Your… brother…?" I asked, starting to slip out of my collected tone of voice.

"Do you have any siblings?" asked Iroh, which puzzled me more than discovering his relation to the Fire Lord.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Count yourself lucky." Iroh laughed, but I could not.

I was scared, even though I knew I had to pretend otherwise.

x

I got out of bed that night to look at the moon.

Zuko and Iroh were asleep. If I knew how to take care of myself outside of the North Pole, I knew I would try to escape. Soon we would _have_ to run into some form of search party. Maybe I could find them if I knew where I was.

The sky was the only thing that was the same as at home.

I tried to reassure myself that I would soon be safely back there.

x

The next evening, I was picking up seashells and examining them while Zuko went about his business. He kept an eye on me, and did not see the approaching ship. It took only a few moments for my excitement to dissipate; it was not a Water Tribe vessel.

"Zuko," I said, turning to my captor. He said nothing. "Zuko, that's a Fire Nation ship. Are you taking me to the Fire Nation now?"

His eyes widened, stunned by what I saw. He wordless grabbed my wrist, and I went with him, not certain how to shake someone off or bark at them to unhand me. No tutor or teacher ever taught me how to say _no_.

"Whoever they are, I can't let them see or steal you. You're _my_ prisoner," he said, pushing me behind a large statue. "Stay here and don't come out. No one on that ship is coming to help you; they'll be worse to you than me. I'll take care of this."

I stole glances at the people arriving and overheard enough of a heated conversation to know I was going to be taken to the Fire Nation. If the Fire Lord wanted Zuko back…

When his sister left, I remained hidden. I thought about running more than I had in the past, but I was paralyzed by fear. Zuko came to me and said, "I want you to stay in place until tomorrow. She would completely take credit for you if she got you tonight. You can sleep in one of the empty cabanas."

He ushered me away.

That night, I stared at the moon again.

I prayed to the spirits even though I knew they could not help me.

I was the only one who could save me, but I did not know how.

x

In the morning, Zuko took me with him.

"Is that your new girlfriend?" asked the girl who honestly intimidated me. She turned to me and I straightened my posture, looking at her with a gaze I borrowed from my father. I was the only person to represent my family, my people, and my nation, and I would do it well. "You are too pretty for him. You have interesting eyes. Where did you kidnap her, ZuZu?"

I laughed and murmured under my breath, "ZuZu," unable to help myself.

"She's the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe, and I took her prisoner," said Zuko.

The Princess of the Fire Nation looked unimpressed. I kept myself as regal as possible.

"Well, I would not call her on par with the Avatar, but you tried and I am sure you will be commended for it." She spoke like an eloquent royal but sounded sarcastic.

I thought it was very funny to see the boy who was so cruel to me get flustered.

Then that boy became hopeful. Then a single sentence of a nameless man changed my life.

It took only moments before Iroh took me by the arm yet again, pushing me out of the way of the scene that erupted.

I understood why yesterday Iroh mentioned siblings in such a disdainful manner. I knew of sibling rivalry from my friends and subjects at home, but I had never seen them try to kill each other. That was new. I wanted to be surprised at it, but I was taught about the Fire Nation, and they seemed to have a taste for destruction and a lack of appreciation for life.

As I stole glances at quite the scene, I began to recoil. Before I could begin an escape, the same arm that pulled me out of the water at the North Pole threw me over his shoulder and started running into the forest.

I kept letting it happen to me.

Maybe I should have learned to be stronger.

x

I thought the forest was a remarkable place.

"Why are you looking at stuff like that?" grunted Zuko. _Prince_ Zuko, I now knew he was.

"I've never seen trees outside of the Spirit Oasis," I explained, still dreamily poking at the emerald leaf in my hand. "There are so many here."

Zuko glowered. I had no clue why, but I gave him an ambiguous royal smile in response.

"We're _fugitives_ surrounded by _trees_ and _dirt_ ," he growled through his clenched teeth. "I really don't see what's so exciting about this situation."

I carefully considered my words before I decided what to say.

"Have you ever looked at something like it was your first time?" I inquired, tilting my head to the side. "I never did until the past few days. It's a good feeling."

Zuko shook his head, his cheeks bright red from barely contained rage.

"I think I'll pass," he grunted.

It was his loss. I kept my lips sealed and watched the leaves soaring in a strangely warm breeze.

"Am I still a prisoner?" I asked, my heart leaping into my throat when I spoke so brazenly.

"I don't care." Zuko threw his arms up and stood. "I really could not possibly care less if you _died_ in this forest. I want to say that you'd be a really good addition to the Avatar, but I'm starting to get the message that my father also couldn't possibly care less if _I_ died in this forest. So, do whatever. Run away. Knock yourself out getting excited about anything that's not made of snow."

He stormed off, fully abandoning his captive for the first time.

I felt sorry for him, but I secretly was happy that this happened; my chance of returning home and not being gifted to the Fire Lord significantly increased.

I released the leaf in my hand and let it float to the ground.

And I vowed that I would become stronger. As I wondered how to fight back against captors, I knew in my heart that I could no longer be obedient and passive. I would escape Zuko, I would find Sokka, and I would join him and Aang and Katara to help end the war.

Only after I did my part would I return to the embrace of ice and grip of marriage.


	2. Chapter 2

"I was engaged to be married," I said to Iroh.

We were searching the woods after building… something like a shelter. It would have been easier if we were lost in the snow and could carve out a place to sleep and avoid death by exposure. Unfortunately, we had only sticks and leaves. Finding food _should_ be easier in this forest than at the North Pole, but the three of us were not making much progress.

Right then, I was trying to stay calm despite my nerves, like snow on a windless day.

Iroh made me jump when he responded to my quiet comment. "That's wonderful… uh… I apologize for taking you from him or her."

"I…" I wanted to stay poised and speak about the benefits of Hahn. Yet, I felt tears behind my eyes and "I…"

"You don't have to talk about it," he said hastily, nodding a few times as if to accentuate that point. "Why don't you go help my nephew find berries?"

"Of course," I replied, nodding and striding through the trees to Prince Zuko. He glanced up, glared at me, and then returned to angrily foraging. "Zuko, if I may, I think you would collect more berries if you stopped burning all of the bushes."

I received a fiercer glare as a response. He was not a very nice boy, but I knew we had to help each other if we were to survive.

So, I added, "I am out of my element too. Literally." I laughed; he did not. "We should focus on making it through the night alive, and, my father always said things look better in the morning."

His glare intensified until pure hatred gleamed in his eyes. I softly smiled, nodded with my eyes closed, and knelt to find berries. After a few minutes of awkwardly skirting around Zuko, I found a handful of blue ones. They reminded me of home and the beautiful clothes, gems and the people who wore those clothes and gems.

As I stared wistfully at the berries in my palm, I heard Iroh say, "Those looks nice. They seem safe… I think they're blueberries."

I put them in my mouth as fast as I could. Out of sight; out of mind.

Once they were in my mouth, I certainly forgot about my homesickness, because my head began to spin, and I began to cough.

I could not breathe. That was the last thing I remembered before I collapsed and Zuko caught me.

x

During the following hours, I drifted in and out of consciousness. I saw a woman and girl hastily working, and wondered if I could trust them. Next, I saw the sun setting through worn windows. Then, my eyes still bleary, I saw Zuko staring at me. I fell back to sleep before I could mention anything to him.

Finally, I woke alone in a strange place. It was a small room—or perhaps house—built from materials I could not identify. I saw the moon shining and stood up. Slowly, I tip-toed across the alien room and gazed out of the window.

"You're up," said Zuko, making me jump. I turned around and tugged at my dirty pink Fire Nation clothes.

Even though I was dressed, I felt exposed. In this shadowy room, he looked at me. Looked at me. He had avoided doing that since his sister showed up and turned him into a fugitive.

"I guess I am," I said with a slight, brief nod. "What happened?"

Zuko explained in a begrudging tone, "You ate poison berries and are really lucky to be alive. You missed dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Jin saved some for you."

"Jin?"

"Yes, okay? The girl who got you help and saved your life. Stop asking so many questions; it's irritating. Is that North or something?"

"Oh, I'm not certain. I was looking at the moon," I said, studying Zuko's expression. His eyes glinted in such a wistful manner for reasons unknown to me. "This is my second near-death experience. The first happened when I was a baby. When I was born, I was very sick and even though the healers did all they could, they said I was going to die. My parents took me to the oasis you, well, you disrespected, and begged the spirits to save me. The moon spirit did."

"The spirit my Uncle saved, therefore ruining my life even more than he usually does."

"Perhaps you should be kinder to him. He clearly loves you very much," I said, clasping my hands together.

"You smile really weird," Zuko said. I was taken aback. "You don't smile all the way. You're not _not_ smiling but you're not smiling either."

I licked my lips, startled by the fact that I understood that.

"It is a royal smile. Perhaps you would give it too if you were not always frowning."

"I'm not _always_ frowning!" The way he glowered as he said that made me start to laugh.

A girl interrupted us as I giggled softly behind my hand. "Oh, good," she said, patting Zuko's arm. "Your girlfriend's up."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

That made me laugh so hard I struggled to contain it. I succeeded at keeping it in, which made me feel relieved. All I wanted was to cling onto my manners, as if it would save me from surrendering to my new life in the wilderness.

"Okay," said the girl, cocking an eyebrow. I took a deep breath to keep in a third fit of giggles. "You guys can spend the night if you want. My mom thinks it's fine, and your Uncle already accepted, so you might be stuck doing it."

Zuko made a growling sound.

x

"Why are we staying here, Uncle?" he snarled as soon as he entered the guest bedroom.

Jin said it belonged to her brother, but said nothing else about him.

"I want the princess to recover fully from her brush with death."

"You don't want to sleep on the ground again, do you?"

"I don't, but I will be again tonight, as will you. The lady can have the bed."

"If you say _the lady_ one more time…" Zuko grumbled before grabbing a straw pillow and tossing it onto the weathered rug.

I sat down on the bed. It would be politer to decline, but I had no desire to sleep on the ground again either. I also included in my justification that they were my captors, not my hosts, as much as Iroh made those lines blur.

x

In the morning, we had breakfast, and walked off onto a path of uncertainty.

I did not know where we would go, but I thought constantly of escape. We walked for a longer time than I ever had before. It was torturous, but I kept quiet about it. Zuko never stopped complaining, even though I was certain he was in better shape than both me and Iroh.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Iroh asked me. I stared at him, not sure what I should say in response. He stopped walking to wait for my reply. "Why not?"

"I usually have nothing to say," I earnestly replied, or so I believed.

"You have to think things," Iroh prodded, while Zuko sat down on a dusty boulder. "Or, have thoughts at least. You can voice them if you want."

"I have many thoughts but none that are worth talking for long about. No one asks me much anyway, and I…" I said, softly smiling instead of finishing my sentence. Iroh studied me and I shifted my weight from foot to foot under his gaze.

"Does it bother you to walk this far?" asked Iroh, taking me off guard.

"Oh, I am not used to it and so it _is_ a bit painful, but I think we have no other choice," I replied, beginning to wring my hands. I only now noticed how much I disliked the feeling of my bare hands. The way they rubbed against the fur of my gloves when I used to do this felt much better.

"Do you have any regrets?" Iroh asked, a question I did not understand. He seemed to sense that. "Any regrets now that you've left the North Pole?"

"Well, I would have liked to stay there if given the choice."

Zuko loudly added to the conversation, "How surprising."

"No…" I said, furrowing my brow. "I thought that when I first was taken, but now that I have been through more I wish I had left with Sokka and his friends."

Saying such personal things felt wrong to me. I squirmed.

Thankfully, Iroh and Zuko asked nothing else.

x

The first village we entered was unlike the other two I had seen.

It was grim; I could feel the pain bleeding from the walls of the dilapidated houses. If it were not for the people walking around, I would have thought it was a ghost town.

I wrapped my arms around myself while Iroh and Zuko led the way. A bulletin board in the middle of town drew my attention. When I walked to it, I saw the wanted posters of the two men I was with. After a moment of scanning papers, I noticed something.

"My face isn't on there," I said, startled.

Iroh did not look surprised. Zuko looked irritated, as I expected him to.

Prince Zuko said, "I hope Azula didn't tell anyone about her. I don't want anyone trying to take my prisoner."

I hoped she did not either, but not for the same reason. It would be best if I could escape unnoticed and get home.

Home. I thought about the beautiful, icy buildings for a heartbreaking moment. Then I looked up at this town and my thoughts turned to how lucky I was there. The Fire Nation did attack before I left, but we had been safe for a century of war. The scorch marks on the bulletin board and the pained people proved that that empire had blazed their way through here.

We had palaces and ornate igloos and clean canals. I saw so much devastation in a few hours, and I never fully comprehended what thousands and thousands of hours could have done to other people's homes. It was wrong that we never helped with the war effort until their ships were coming at us.

It was _very_ wrong.

"Yue, we should best get going," said Iroh, gesturing at the road through the center of the broken village.

"Yes…" I said. "Yes, we should."

x

That night, at dinner, I watched Zuko peel fruit with a beautiful knife. It did not look like a utensil; it looked like a beautiful heirloom. I wondered why he was using it until it occurred to me that our choices were limited.

I watched it as I ate and thought that it was small and sharp enough that even I could do damage with it.

The small shake of my head as I brushed those thoughts aside was involuntary, and I hoped neither man noticed it.

x

As we slept again in the woods, I decided I needed to escape.

It took a long time of staring up at the moon to gather the courage I needed. I should take action like I never did before, like I never would have if the North Pole remained untouched.

Quietly, I stood up and crept away from the sleeping bodies of my two captors. I looked around for anything of use and saw the knife. Even though I did not approve of stealing, I took it and ran off into the forest, keeping my footsteps as light as possible.

I kept running and running, unsure where to go. Even the moonlight was not enough to penetrate the thick trees.

It took me an hour to get hopelessly lost. I sat down and pressed my back against a tree. Maybe I could hide until morning and better find my way to help.

I sat down and tried to keep myself company, but I was not a kind girl to myself. All I could think about was how weak and helpless I was. I let myself get captured and I knew I should have fought harder, but what if I was incapable of it? What if I was wiser to resign myself to my fate?

I did not know the answers to those questions. Yet, I knew I was weak and I always would be weak and I was foolish to think I could be strong.

Nervous, bored, weeping and tired, I studied the knife I should not have stolen.

 _Never give up without a fight._


	3. Chapter 3

I was grateful that I knew how to survive in the cold.

When I was little, I got lost outside of the city. I ran away that night, not knowing there would be an ill-timed blizzard. It caught me and left me helpless and cold. I built a small shelter from the snow and held out until morning. The men found me and took me home. My parents were angry, but relieved that I was alive.

Tonight, I could not stop shivering. My new clothes were not as warm and snug as the blue garments I wore at home. My hair was a mess—much of the white streaked with dirt brown—my skin was dirty and I worried I would die here in this forest.

I looked up at the moon. It was the same one everywhere. Never did I put much thought into that, not until I was away from the only place I had ever lived. Now it had significance. No matter where I went, I would always see the same moon above.

Sleep never came, but I did let my mind drift as the night progressed.

I did not focus on anything until shortly after sunrise when I heard the rustling in the bushes. The woods made sounds all night long, but this sounded distinctly human—or like that of a large animal. Either way, I sat straight up and fumbled for the knife that was sheathed on my lap.

The figure that emerged was livid and intense. Zuko found me. I should not have been as surprised as I was. It was not a shock that a girl unprepared for escape was captured.

"You always wake early," I said, tucking the knife behind my back. I knew I could not use it, but I hid it anyway. "I always had trouble with that. I stayed up too late."

When I smiled at him, his angry posture softened, but not by much. I think my calm acquiescence may have disarmed him enough to give his uncle time to arrive on the scene. Zuko glared at Iroh but did not argue with him.

Iroh spoke first out of all of us. "Yue, we were worried about you."

Zuko said harshly with flames in his golden eyes, "I wasn't. _I_ was worried that you would run off with my only chance at bargaining my way back home and my property."

He extended a hand. When I saw he would not give in, I pried the knife from behind me and set it on his palm.

Iroh said, as if to make the situation better, "You're a very good thief, Yue."

Zuko snapped viciously, "Uncle! Stop condoning her behavior!"

I laughed behind my hand, which only served to make him madder.

x

The stench of an area made me stop walking. "Why does it smell like this?"

"It is a lumber town," explained Iroh, while Zuko still kept his eyes on me.

I tried to peer through the trees and see it but could not. Then, I walked forward and saw that I was in the middle of a clearing. It did not appear to be a natural one, however. The trees looked broken in half here with the majority of the top missing. I stepped near one of the weird bumps and saw rings on the wood.

Trees look odd on the inside.

"What are these?" I asked Iroh.

"Stumps," he explained, and I mouthed the word twice. It might help me remember better. "The trees get chopped down very often here. The war needs them."

"I have not had the chance to learn much about the war," I said, blushing. "We never have suffered from it at the North Pole. Until…"

"The siege," finished Iroh.

Zuko stopped walking and loudly sighed. "Can we be done with the lesson? I'm getting kind of tired of the cute innocent water princess and her obnoxious tea-loving guide. Let's walk. We need to find lunch."

I stood in front of one of the stumps. "Do they not know how lucky they are to have trees?"

Zuko laughed. I blushed.

He said, mocking me, " _Trees_ are everywhere. Stop pretending to be so cute and naïve."

"Did you see many trees at the North Pole, Prince Zuko?" I inquired.

He did not answer me. I was not surprised; he was not a boy who easily admitted he was wrong, or wanted to look foolish. Though, few people do.

Iroh gave me a smile but it was only a small comfort.

x

Once, I was a princess. Now, I was a beggar.

I stood on the side of the street beside Zuko. Iroh was much better at this than the both of us, which was startling; he had lived as much a life of luxury as the two of us. I smiled weakly at those who passed by, while Zuko maintained a constant scowl.

A few people pitied us and offered coins. One man took his time staring at all three of us, as if amused by the fallen. He did not know who we were, I was certain, but it felt invasive all the same.

"She's pretty. I've never seen such bright blue eyes," said the man with the small smirk. I blushed and looked to Zuko for help. It was such an innocent compliment, but the way he said it unnerved me. "If you're that desperate for coins, I'd give you a couple gold pieces for fifteen minutes and I would be—"

Zuko punched him in the face before he could finish his thought. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands. He dove down to the ground, tackling the man with him, and broke his nose before he at last stood up.

He grabbed the man by his well-kept tresses and pulled him up to his knees. A crowd now had gathered, gawking at the spectacle.

"Apologize to the lady," Zuko growled through his teeth and the petrified man nodded and nodded.

"I'm—I'm sorry, miss," he choked out. "I didn't mean to be disrespectful."

Zuko shook him by the hair once before he released him.

Iroh stood and grabbed his nephew by the arm. "It might be best if we move to the next town now, nephew."

And Iroh picked up the coin we made and took off through the packed crowd that stared at the now sobbing man. Zuko took my hand and dragged me along with them. I wondered why he was so forceful; I would not run away again. I had nowhere to go.

We ran off to the cave we called home at the moment.

I sat against the stone wall and watched as Zuko paced, grumbling complaints, and Iroh made tea. It did not smell as fragrant and lovely as the tea we had back at the spa after floating on driftwood, but it smelled better than what we had at the Northern Water Tribe. Iroh seemed to know what he was doing.

"Do you know how I got the nickname the Dragon of the West?" Iroh asked me and I shook my head, blushing again. He took a sip of the piping hot tea—Zuko rolled his eyes—and breathed a burst of flame that left me agape.

"Oh, it's not that impressive," Zuko snarled at me. I was not embarrassed or taken aback by his words; I clapped for Iroh's performance and sat closer to the campfire. "Any decent firebender can do that."

"I thought it was amazing," I said honestly, smiling at Iroh.

He was a very kind captor.

x

That night, Iroh tended to the fire to keep the bugs away. Zuko slept and I tried to do the same, but could not. I sat up and crawled to Iroh.

"May I ask you something?" I dared, nervous to be so bold but unable to resist.

"Yes," said Iroh. He handed me a cup of tea and I politely accepted.

"Why does Prince Zuko so desperately want to capture Aang?" I inquired, cocking my head to the side. Iroh hung his head and my heart skipped a beat from pain and shame.

"He…" Iroh looked like he was gathering his thoughts and I patiently waited. "It goes along with how he got his scar. He was the Prince of the Fire Nation—he still… maybe he still is—and he was to be Fire Lord after his father. One day, I invited him into a war meeting. It went poorly; he spoke out of turn. His father challenged him to an Agni Kai."

"An Agni Kai?" I asked, puzzled by the two alien words.

"It is a duel between firebenders held at sunset and with strict rules. He prepared to fight his father with an audience watching, but he could not do it. He loved his father too much and feared him even more. He begged for forgiveness but my brother is not a forgiving man. The opposite. He always has been. Anyway, my brother burned Zuko's face and then banished him and said he could return if he retrieved the Avatar."

"That is… cruel," I said, unsure how else to respond. I felt it was proper that I speak, but I was close to speechless after hearing such a horrific story. "No wonder he was willing to go so far to capture Aang back at the North Pole."

Iroh merely nodded.

That alone was indication our conversation was over, but Zuko standing up and storming—literally smoking—to the mouth of the cave solidified the finale.

x

We repeated our actions as beggars on the sides of the dirty streets at a few towns following. Zuko lost more and more patience as days dragged by. I tried not to meet the gaze of those who pitied us or looked on us with disgust.

One night in another cave, Zuko lay down beside me for the first time.

"I'm sick of this. I'm sick of him and I'm sick of playing nice," he whispered to me. I did not know what to say in response. "I'm leaving my uncle. You're coming with me," said Prince Zuko.

I rolled over on my side and looked at him. I _wanted_ with all of my heart to protest but I simply could not. All I did was bow my head and nod, getting to my feet and following him as he tip-toed out of the cave.

With all of my heart, I hoped Iroh was not awake.

x

The next day, Zuko and I walked for hours in the scorched woods. I was tired and sore, more so than I had been in any of my travels with Iroh. It was a bad idea to go with Zuko. I could have woken Iroh. Yet, ever since that day he beat the man and made him apologize, I was intrigued by the prince. Not infatuated or _interested_ in that fashion. But I wondered how his mind worked.

We stopped by a river and Zuko boiled water for us both. As we waited for it to cool, I looked down into the crystalline water and watched the fish swim merrily by.

Zuko saw exactly what I did, but he came up with a plan.

"You're Water Tribe. Do you know how to fish?" asked Zuko.

I nodded. "Usually it was the men who did it and I was royal but my father taught me how because he wanted to spend time with me. And after I ran away once and got lost, he was worried I would starve to death one day if I was trapped somewhere."

Zuko did not ask about my story. Perhaps I was pleased by that. Perhaps I was neutral towards it. All I knew was that I taught him how to make fishing hooks and makeshift line. He dug up bait and we both cast our stick rods.

We sat in the hot sunlight on the banks of the river. Zuko closed his eyes and seemed to bask in the sun. I could not help but watch him.

"Quit staring at me. You're so weird!" Zuko exclaimed angrily. I did not know what to say. "You're frustrating too. I'm so sick of the good little girl act."

"It is no act, Prince Zuko. I am who I am," I said as warmly as I could muster. He was not swayed by my honest words.

"You need to grow a backbone if you're going to survive out here with me," said Zuko. "We need to travel on our own until I can find a way to gift you and the Avatar both to my father."

"Do you think you really can get Aang?" I asked and he looked gravely offended. "I meant—I did not mean to be rude—I just wonder if you are discouraged at all."

"I can. And I will," said Zuko.

"Will your sister be Fire Lord?"

"You're not even going to pretend you didn't have that conversation with my uncle?" Zuko looked at me like I was crazy. Or rude. Or crazy and rude. I blushed.

"I guess not. She does not seem to be very actively pursuing us. It makes me uneasy," I said, but Zuko shrugged in response.

"Maybe she is." He rolled his eyes. "No. If she was pursuing us to the best of her stupid overexaggerated allegedly wonderful abilities she probably already would've caught us. She's distracted or maybe not trying for some reason. We haven't seen the last of her. And she _won't_ steal you from me!"

"I hope she will not. You are the best captor a girl could ask for."

"I don't need your sarcasm," grumbled Zuko.

"That was not sarcasm, Prince Zuko," I said in earnest. He cocked an eyebrow, then laughed at me for the thousandth time.

"There's something seriously wrong with your head other than being brainless."

I gave a small shrug and tried not to be angry.

Zuko was my only chance at survival in the wilds, or even in the world outside of my icy homeland for that matter.


	4. Chapter 4

Zuko shot a tongue of fire at a tree and I flinched.

"Don't act like I'm going to hurt you!" he screamed at me, which I found puzzling. "I'm—" and his voice quieted. "I'm not going to hurt you, Yue."

I was confused. _Very_ confused. He was my captor, he was cruel, he was constantly angry, he hurt my only friends, hurt my tribe, and now he was going on about how he would not hurt me. At the very least, I did not believe him.

"I am your prisoner. You intend to turn me over to the Fire Lord," I said plainly, keeping my tone as sweet and polite as possible while I said something I considered to be cold.

"Yes!" he shouted. "I _know_ that!"

He ran his hand through his hair and groaned.

"We are lost, aren't we?" I said.

"YES!" he screamed. The birds vacated the highest branches. I watched them pass overhead in awe. We rarely ever had such creatures at the North Pole. Irately, he demanded, "Why do you have to look at everything like it's the first time you've seen it?"

"It _is_ ," I replied and he just shook his head. "This world is very amazing—"

"We are _lost_ in the _woods_ with the Fire Nation _hunting_ us and so you can't act like you're all awe-inspired by everything around you, okay? So, stop it!"

"I will stop it," I agreed, unwilling to argue with him.

"Good," he snapped, although clearly still irate for some reason.

I wondered if he ever was _not_ angry.

We wandered for hours and hours. The sun sank in the background and I tried to just breathe and accept my fate. I knew I could not survive without the man trying to conquer nature in the most foolish of ways.

I truly began to understand how he made the poor decision of getting himself stuck in a snowstorm with the Avatar.

After a thousand years, he halted and I stumbled to a stop.

"We should make camp for the night," gruffly ordered Zuko. I nodded and gave the small, ambiguous, feminine smile I always was taught. He bought it and looked vaguely reassured.

"How can I help?" I softly inquired, studying him intently. He squirmed slightly under my piercing blue gaze.

"Just sit down and don't move. I'll take care of it," Zuko ordered.

Due to his anger issues, I decided to just listen. I also did not know how to set up a camp in this climate. Then again, I did not think he had much experience in that either.

He gathered large leaves and sticks as I watched and sipped water. He removed his shirt as he worked and his muscles glistened with sweat. Finally, he formed a shelter from what he gathered. It looked like a nest for a small animal, like the ones the polar fox-bears burrowed into at the North Pole. Something odd inside of me that I did not understand looked forward to sharing such a small space with him.

Zuko hung his shirt up in the branches and I grasped at my own clothes. I did not want to lose them tonight, but he paid me no mind.

The Fire Nation Prince was chiseled and toned, a brilliant body he hid beneath the ragged clothes we were forced to wear. He looked like an ice sculpture of a legendary hero. Looking at him made my heart flutter in my chest and my cheeks become hot.

He began to gather wood, hauling the heaviest pieces I could see. I licked my lips and looked away while he stacked them into a fire. Breathing in the bitter early spring air, I observed his talent at setting up a camp. He kept glancing at me as he tore branches from trees. I watched, head cocked to the side, while he wiped the sweat from his brow in an exaggerated fashion. It became evident quite quickly that he was trying to impress me while he set up our makeshift camp.

"Where did you learn to do this?" I curiously inquired as he lit the fire with one gesture of his hand. He gave it another blast of flame for no reason; I suppose he merely felt like bending.

"Fire Nation soldiers all learn it as part of their extensive training. They taught me during my exile," stated Zuko and I nodded. "You know, exile wasn't the worst thing that happened to me. It made me powerful, and it gave me opportunity to collect the most valuable prisoners of war in history. I will have my crown again in a short while."

"Are—are you talking about me?" I said softly, glancing both ways for no reason.

"Yes," he said, rolling his eyes and making a grunting noise in the back of his throat. I just nodded at him, flashing an ambiguous and feminine smile that I was taught to perform in uncomfortable situations. "And I am strong enough to take you and the Avatar to my father. I mean, you're good bait for the Avatar and you're a good prisoner for my father to keep. We still need to bring down the Northern Tribe after Zhao failed so shamefully."

He looked pleased by the failure, but I knew it was not out of any love for my people.

"Oh." I did not know what else to say. Of course, I knew I needed a way to escape being taken to Fire Lord Ozai. I also knew that Aang was my friend and I could not bear to let him be captured too. But he had the powerful Katara and Sokka to take care of him. I was alone in the world.

Prince Zuko suddenly handed me food he had gathered. "These are sugar berries. They're sweet."

I smiled at him and accepted the red fruit. Slowly, I raised it to my lips, praying that they were not poison, and I instantly tasted the rush of sugar in my mouth. It made my eyelashes flutter from the happy sensation.

"They are wonderful," I said breathlessly and he just nodded with a shrug of his muscular shoulders, a quick cavalier motion that I knew meant more than he wanted it to mean.

"They're probably the last sweet thing I'm ever going to taste now that I'm on the run. At least until I get you back to the Fire Nation and hand you over to my father," said Zuko.

We then settled around the campfire, across from each other, the flames obscuring some of our features but illuminating others.

"Prince Zuko," I said as I warmed my hands over the fire, "I have noticed something."

"What?" he demanded.

"That you seem to think your life is much worse than everyone else's."

The fire flared and I barely recoiled in time to avoid a bad burn. I stared at him, puzzled. It seemed like a fairly innocent statement. Did he not know?

"Because it is!" was his livid response.

"Oh," I whispered, hanging my head and averting my eyes.

Zuko angrily stood. "I'm going to grab a few branches for later in the night. It's cold."

I nodded. I knew that first hand after sleeping in the woods so recently.

As he got up and walked towards the tree, I saw him trip over the rocks and I wanted to leap to my feet but instead I hid and cowered as he collided with the rocks, scraping himself and crumbling his body. Slowly, I got up and moved towards the boy who suddenly laid in a pool of blood.

"What—what happened?" I stammered softly, trying to remain calm. I was a princess and needed to stay composed even in situations like this.

Zuko groaned and did not saw a word. I saw the blood all over his face and his bare chest. Slowly, I took his arm and tried to help him to his feet, but I was not strong enough.

He finally pushed himself to his feet and swayed on them as he sat near the fire. I saw the scream hidden behind his pursed lips and my heart began to pound in my chest.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, eyes wide.

"Y—I think so," he grunted, but I knew that was not true. I already saw the bruising on his ivory skin, and the blood did not help. It spurted from his arm, which was a bad sign.

"How?" I whispered, shivering from both the cold and the terror.

"I—I just got tired," he spat, furrowing his brow, lip twisted into an angry snarl. "Maybe if you helped I wouldn't have been too exhausted to walk straight. Or if you hadn't been so rude I wouldn't be preoccupied with angry thoughts!"

I blushed, at a loss for words. He snarled through his teeth like an injured animal. I was afraid; I did not know what to do.

"Aren't _your people_ healers?" he shouted and I recoiled. "Your people are healers!"

"I am not a waterbender," I said under my breath. "Only our waterbenders can heal."

He howled like a scared wolf. I wanted to run away, but I had nowhere to go. Whether I liked it or not, I was staying with Prince Zuko.

"YOU ARE USELESS!" he screamed in my face and I forced myself to stay calm.

I showed none of my anger; I was a princess, after all. I merely nodded and avoided eye contact. That seemed to make him twice as livid; I never knew with this boy.

"Should I get you help?" I whispered nervously, eyeing his wounds in utter horror.

"No," he growled, snapping and snarling. "I'm not letting you run away. I'd rather die like a hunted fox-deer than end up empty-handed!"

"I don't want to run away; I want to save you," I whispered, trying to make clear my loyalty without seeming not genuine. Maybe I was not. Maybe I was just being polite or maybe it came from my upbringing but I did not like seeing him hurt.

Zuko spat and I cringed. I shivered and shook, but not from the cold nighttime air. He glowered at me until I stood and took a few steps back.

"Go to sleep," ordered Zuko, stumbling to the den he built and lying down inside. I followed him and curled up. There was not much space, but we made do.

"I will try to sleep," I whispered, knowing it would be an unpleasant night for both of us.

He groaned more than once as I shivered and tried to sleep, pressed against his warm body in the makeshift shelter. I felt his chest shudder upon occasion and it made my heart skip a beat every single time.

Finally, I fell asleep, pressed against him and nestled in our den.

x

In the bitter morning, I woke in a cold sweat, trying to breathe. Slowly, I gazed up at the sky through the shelter ceiling. Turning to my left, I saw Prince Zuko shivering, his wounds even worse this morning. I had to help him; there was no other choice.

"Zuko," I whispered, gently nudging him. "Zuko."

He woke with his teeth bared. " _What_?"

"Prince Zuko, I need to go to town; I need to get you help; you're badly wounded," I anxiously said, tenderly touching his shoulder and blinking twice. He gritted his teeth and sighed and groaned and finally made up his mind.

He studied himself and seemed to come to the proper conclusion.

Angrily, he asked, "Can you do that? I don't think you can do that. This is a bad idea. You're not—you're completely useless!"

Softly and smoothly, I replied, "Please trust me. I can get you help in town; I _promise_."

Zuko sighed and winced. It was clear he loathed what needed to happen, and I suppose I understood why. He needed me as a prisoner and feared he would lose that advantage. Yet, I knew he would not, since I refused to let him die in the woods like an animal.

I would return with help for him if it was the last thing I did.

Helplessly, he asked, "You're coming back, right?"

I nodded, because I meant it. I doubted I would make it far without his help. This wilderness was not hospitable to me, a girl from the land of snow and ice.

Slowly, I rose from Zuko's side and started walking in the direction I thought to be right. Hopefully I remembered the path back to the last town we were in. As I walked, I eventually noticed strange, reptilian footprints sunken into the copious mud. They seemed fresh. My skin broke out in goosebumps; I hoped such a monster was not stalking me.

On my way, I stopped several times from exhaustion and ducked under trees to hide from the sweltering sun. Memories of Prince Zuko's injuries kept me going when I wanted to stay in the shade.

Finally, I reached the town. I started walking around, frantically looking for someone—anyone—to help me, but a bustling village had become a ghost town within a few days.

How could this be?

"Princess!" chirped a high, girlish voice. "Princess, there's somebody loose!"

I froze up, panicked.

Suddenly, I saw Zuko's sister emerge from nothingness. My heart pounded and plummeted into my sick stomach. Fear burned my insides.

"And you must be…?" purred the Fire Princess. Her voice was hypnotic, beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

"Yue," I said on reflex. Maybe I should have lied. I did not know.

"Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe. My, my, you are a long way from home," purred Azula, slowly advancing on me. I thought I might die of fright.

"Please don't—don't do anything to me. Zuko is badly hurt and we need to get him help," I implored, keeping my tone calm, sweet, polite and regal. It _must_ work on her. Zuko was her brother and she ought to care enough to help me help him.

Azula cackled. She seemed entertained by my pain and I felt a rush of anger that I cooled and beat back. It was not becoming of a princess to experience rage.

"You will not find help here," said Azula, smirking at me. "I conquered this quaint little village for my father. It thought it could be free. How adorable."

I glanced between her two scary friends. They were slowly advancing on me, one tiny step at a time. My stomach did numerous backflips.

"Your brother is injured. Do you want him to die?" I said, offering an ambiguous, feminine smile. That should work, right?

Offhandedly, Princess Azula said, "Honestly, I wouldn't care if he did. Ty Lee!"

A fist collided lightly on four parts of my body. Breathlessly, I hit the ground. Crunch.

Princess Azula loomed over me, smug as could be.

"I forgot to say—how rude of me—I am pleased to meet you," the princess purred.

She smirked.


End file.
